Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging Receives Federal Grant to Expand Dementia-Capable Communities

Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging has received a grant from the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to work with partners in Ohio to expand dementia-capable communities and implementations of evidence-based dementia caregiving programs in certain rural and urban areas of the state. The three-year grant, awarded through ACL’s Alzheimer's Disease Programs Initiative, totals $954,778.

Dementia-capable communities consider the impact of dementia on all aspects of the community. That includes public and professional education about brain health, identification and diagnosis of dementia, eligibility for community services, culturally appropriate person- and family-centered care, caregiver services, information distribution and access, daily interactions and other aspects of daily life. The goal is to create supportive, dementia-friendly environments for people living with dementia, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Benjamin Rose and partners from the Ohio Council for Cognitive Health, United Seniors of Athens County, Athens Village, O’Neill Senior Center, Welcome House and The Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University, will work together to improve and expand this concept within underserved urban and rural areas in Ohio. 

Partners will implement the Dementia Friends USA program in in Athens, Cuyahoga and Washington counties to help individuals in communities learn what it's like to live with dementia and then turn that understanding into action. To help make the communities dementia-capable, supplemental dementia-education trainings and easily accessible informational resources also will be developed as part of the project.

In addition, the project includes the expanded delivery of two evidence-based programs developed by Benjamin Rose – BRI Care Consultation™ and SHARE for Dementia – including adaptations for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The project’s Co-Directors, Branka Primetica and Jennifer Cardellini, shared the following statement: “The expansion of dementia-capable communities within underserved rural and urban areas in Ohio will increase dementia awareness and knowledge and enhance services that will improve the quality of life and health outcomes of individuals with dementia, intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers. We look forward to working with knowledgeable and exceptional partners to truly make an impact on an individual and a community level.”   

A sustainable project management model developed as part of the project will ultimately enable replication in other communities. The long-term goal of the project is to make it a statewide initiative.

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About Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging: Founded in 1908, Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging (www.benrose.org) is a nationally recognized Cleveland-based nonprofit whose mission is to advance support for older adults and caregivers. This work is accomplished by deepening the understanding of their evolving needs in a changing society; promoting effective public policies; and developing and delivering innovative, high-quality solutions, including evidence-based programs that are tested and proven by research to achieve beneficial outcomes for consumers.